Archive: Nov 2015

The transportation sector is responsible for billions of dollars of economic activity in Ontario every year. Whether it is the just-in-time delivery of products to store shelves, getting needed material to manufacturers, bringing the bounty of Ontario agriculture to a local famers’ market or getting people to work on time, the transportation sector is vital for moving goods, services and people across the vast distances of Ontario.

However, this vital sector is also the largest single source of greenhouse gas emissions in the province. In fact, the transportation sector is responsible for about 34 per cent of emissions in Ontario, ahead of electricity production, agriculture and the heating and cooling of homes and businesses.

Emissions from the transportation sector are a serious challenge for Ontario – but it is also a source of great opportunity. As the government of Ontario works with its federal and provincial counterparts to address climate change, the province can show climate leadership by advocating for an increased role for natural gas in the transportation sector to significantly reduce greenhouse gas emissions. In this way, natural gas can be a climate change ally, especially in the short to medium term.

The transportation sector is already leading. The Ontario Natural Gas Alliance spoke with leaders in natural gas transportation, Groupe Robert and Hamilton Street Railway to see how they put natural gas to work. Watch the video below and see how these leaders have embraced clean, reliable and affordable natural gas.

The UN-sponsored Paris Climate Change conference is now underway. Leaders from around the world, including representatives from the province of Ontario, are gathering to discuss the global effort to combat and mitigate the effects of climate change. Ontario already is a climate change leader, many of the actions being discussed at Paris, like closing coal-fired power plants for purposes of electricity production, have already been done in Ontario. In fact, this was the single largest climate-change mitigation measure taken to-date in North America.

Dr. Philip Walsh, an associate professor at Ryerson University’s Centre for Urban Energy, recently had a guest column in the Toronto Sun discussing how natural gas can be an ally in the fight against climate change. Dr. Walsh argues that Ontario can continue to show climate change leadership, by embracing natural gas for long-haul transportation and public transit.

Agriculture is the number one industry in Ontario, valued at more than $10 billion. The products and produce of Ontario agribusiness supply markets both local and around the world with nourishing food. And beyond this, they provide jobs that are critical to the Ontario economy. Farms feed cities, both literally and figuratively, with more than 80,000 Ontarians making their living directly on them, and more than 718,000 working in the sector.

Accordingly, the agriculture sector in Ontario is incredibly diverse. From chickens and beef, to tomatoes and pumpkins—there’s produce and product for every season. Within this diversity there are some common themes: hardworking people with a dedication to their businesses, and an industry-wide need for massive amounts of energy.

Unfortunately, some agribusinesses are at a competitive disadvantage, as not all have access to clean, reliable and affordable natural gas.

The Ontario Natural Gas Alliance recently completed a series of interviews with leaders in the agriculture sector in Bruce County, an area not currently served with natural gas distribution.

Take a moment to watch the video below and see how natural gas can make a big difference in the lives of these farmers—and Ontario as a whole.